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This just in… G-8 summit won’t be held in Chicago

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Illinois

* 3:14 pm - Tribune…

The G-8 summit will be held at Camp David, not in Chicago as had been scheduled.

The White House announced the change in the following statement:

“In May, the United States looks forward to hosting the G-8 and NATO Summits. To facilitate a free-flowing discussion with our close G-8 partners, the president is inviting his fellow G-8 leaders to Camp David on May 18-19 for the G-8 Summit, which will address a broad range of economic, political and security issues.

“The president will then welcome NATO allies and partners to his hometown of Chicago for the NATO Summit on May 20-21, which will be the premier opportunity this year for the president to continue his efforts to strengthen NATO in order to ensure that the Atlantic Alliance remains the most successful alliance in history, while charting the way forward in Afghanistan.”

That news will come as a relief to a whole lot of Chicagoans, and to some of the rest of us. It’s more trouble than it’s worth.

* 3:51 pm - Sun-Times…

City Hall insisted that it was President Obama’s decision — that Mayor Rahm Emanuel did not ask the White House to take the more controversial of the two summits off Chicago’s hands. […]

Andy Thayer, a spokesman for the Coalition Against NATO-G-8, didn’t buy the City Hall spin. He believes that pressure from local business leaders concerned about an international onslaught of protesters convinced the mayor to cut the risk in half.

“There’s been a lot of grumbling from business leaders in the city about what a total pain in the neck this thing would be. [The White House] probably looked at what a mess they were gonna make of the city and decided to move part of it to Camp David,” Thayer said.

“I really think the business community began to lean on Emanuel and Emanuel probably realized he was in over his head.”

Although the economic summit will be held in the secluded environment around Camp David, Thayer stressed that the demonstrations in Chicago “will go forward, but maybe not on the 19th” of May.

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:14 pm

Comments

the spin on this should be classic. Over to you rahm.

Comment by Shore Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:17 pm
Woooooot!

Now I don’t have to go hard hat shopping and dress like a construction worker for a week.

Comment by OneMan Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:19 pm
I would like to wish all the prosters “good luck” on trying to repeat Veancouver and such outside the President of the United States’ retreat. I doubt … that American troops will be stationed all around, along with other military types.

“I thought we would just be facing cops?”

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:22 pm
Good thing the Chicago PD just bought all kinds of riot gear and spent a buttload of money on preparations for a summit that they won’t even be hosting.

This is like the Summer Olympics all over again.

Comment by TCB Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:22 pm
So what do we do with all that horse body armor?

Comment by Bill Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:23 pm
But Chicago is a world class city. We need events like this to remind ourselves that.

Comment by Lori Healy Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:24 pm
Way to coordinate with the White House Rahm!

Comment by Bill Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:26 pm
another indication that chicago isn’t even close to a world class city — and that’s the way people here want it…

Comment by bored now Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:27 pm
As a Chicago resident with an office in the heart of where the action would be, I am torn. I’m glad we’ll be spared the mess and potential mayhem, but I just can’t help thinking this is a colossal screw up. Lots of money and effort wasted and it makes Chicago and the US look bad.

Perhaps there is some credible intel that warranted the change…

But couldn’t you just target the NATO summit instead? I’m just sayin’

Comment by Adam Smith Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:28 pm
it’s the NATO thing bigger then the G-8? We still get a lot of people coming in town. My guess the protesters will still be looking for camp David on the 20th.

Comment by frustrated GOP Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:29 pm
Will the city refund the money I spent on my gas mask…

Comment by OneMan Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:30 pm
Sell Lori Healey stock

Comment by intrade Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:30 pm
another indication that chicago isn’t even close to a world class city — and that’s the way people here want it…

Back when it was the G7 they did one in Houston. No single event makes you a world class city, be it the Olympics (Atlanta), the G8 Houston or a Worlds Fair (Seattle, Knoxville) it is a combination of things.
Chicago kicks a– and if the rest of the world isn’t into that, oh well, less people staring up at stuff in the loop I have to deal with.

Comment by OneMan Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:34 pm
I’m another one glad to see it go. I just didn’t say any upside either for myself or my city. In a best case scenario, there would be peaceful protests and no violent riots. Is “Our protests are peaceful” really a meaningful way to promote the city?

Personally, I expected to have to walk to the office each day or not go in to the office at all. It will be nice to have business as usual for those days.

Comment by Skeeter Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:35 pm
TCB - we may still need the riot gear for the Nato Summit. But I am glad the damage will be limited to a single upcoming protest magnet (having both might be more than double the pain, as people who would not go to either in different locales might go to both in the same locale).

Comment by titan Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:39 pm
Not ready for prime time players shoot themselves in the foot again.

Comment by Quinn T. Sential Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:45 pm
In other news, the price of plywood is pummeting in late afternoon trading at Chicago area Lowes, Home Depot and Menards outlets and AAA Board Up Company announced layoffs.

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:46 pm
Great idea to hold it Camp David.NATO meeting much
more to my liking. It’ a wonder other countries
did’nt think of it 1st. Bravo to Rahm and the President.

Comment by mokenavince Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 3:56 pm
That’s President Rahm…..

Comment by Oh Really Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 4:02 pm
OneMan: i’ve spent a bit of time in houston. i can’t remember anybody there calling houston a world-class city…

Comment by bored now Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 4:09 pm
=So what do we do with all that horse body armor? =

The Chicago Police Department’s polo team will be a force to be reckoned with in 2012.

Comment by TCB Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 4:09 pm
Great news! But there’s no doubt many of the agitators who were coming here to party will still come here to party….
And how does making this change mean that Chicago isn’t a world class city?

Comment by peacelover Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 4:10 pm
The political fallout from days of televised protests, surrounded by an army of police, is far more serious than supporting Emanuel’s ego. This was the right decision.

Comment by Wensicia Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 4:18 pm
There will be plenty of uses for the horse armor and the riot gear. The night the Bull win the NBA title this year and St. Patrick’s Day come to mind. I might have to light a trash can on fire on May 18 just for auld lang syne.

Comment by And I Approved This Message Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 4:22 pm
Rahm, “Wish I had a G8.”

Comment by amalia Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 4:27 pm
I totally believe pressure from the protestors was a driving factor here, but I’m not concerned it was local business driving this decision. Obama’s team probably didn’t need the visuals to help kick off the summer phase of the reelect campaign, have it look like Chicago and the Democrats are in local chaos, have somebody try and make this “Obama’s Chicago 1968.”

Comment by ZC Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 4:51 pm
We have some ideas for the surplus horse armor.
Rahm will ignore the bottom 25% of the horse armor as it is destined to fail.
Some of it will be used for Ed Burke and Mayor Daley’s hooved security forces.
The rest of the armor will be fashioned into stylish western bullet proof vests for all the extra police force necessary due to the G-8 summit…oh wait.

Comment by Jake From Elwood Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 5:01 pm
Limbaugh could probably use the horse armour about now

Comment by D.P. Gumby Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 5:11 pm
There is no “surplus” horse armor. The NATO summit always had the potential for being the bigger protest and damage magnet. It is still coming to Chicago in May. Like some others here I feel relief that the G8 is gone, but there is still plenty of work and worry ahead for the city’s businesses, citizens and police force with the NATO summit circus coming to town.

Comment by Responsa Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 5:14 pm
I thing all the planners of ‘extraordinary’ demonstrations will work to annoy the NATO meeting.

No deep relief on my part yet.

Couldn’t the hors armor be modified to be hog armor? We could sell ti ti a certain County Commissioner……

Comment by Plutocrat03 Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 5:16 pm
Disappointed, relieved and concerned.

Disappointed we cannot do what places like London did (handling simultaneous summits), or at least what cities like Kehl, Prague, Rome, Brussels, Riga, Istanbul, Lisbon, Huntsville, Alberta, etc. have successfully done.

Even Sea Island was able to handle the last G8 summit in America with Federal assistance. Sea Island.

Relieved that our undermanned police force will not be put in harm’s way due to poor planning. Relieved that our businesses will not be exposed to needless damage, and that we won’t have to pass by this mess every day on the way to work.

Concerned that even though the Feds. offered their “full support”, our internals and procedures are so screwed up we can’t pull things together.

Would have been nice if they figured this out before spending money on the horses gear and manpower on the failed planning.

Second City Cop blog has more info for anyone interested.

Comment by Shock & Awww(e) Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 5:16 pm
Then again, it’s doubtful all those protestors planning on heading to Chicago will cancel their plans now that it’s “only” the NATO summit.

We may still be in for a ride… man.

Comment by Shock & Awww(e) Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 5:20 pm
When Lori Healey first went on chicago tonight to ’sell this”, Elizabeth Brackett, one of the stars of the blago trial, asked her point blank what jobs and economic development would be coming to the city. Healey gave some bs answer, Brackett pressed further and Healey responded that “security officials would take up hotel rooms and buy dinner”. Healy further responded that secret service would roll over from some other event earlier in the spring and be ready. A yearlong production coming off a recession and a botched olympic bid for a few hundred agents hotel rooms and lou malnatis pizzas.

This is the greg hinz story from this afternoon. This woman is not an elected official so I want to be kind, but this is episode 2 in 3 years where she’s sold the area on a big plan then completely failed to deliver and embarrassed the city.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120305/NEWS02/120309916/white-house-stuns-city-by-pulling-plug-on-g8-in-chicago

Here is the list of cities that have handled the g8.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G8

Comment by Shore Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 5:22 pm
I’m not buying that this is the fault of Lori Healey, not this nor the Olympics either. she might be a common link, but it’s pretty clear in the sports world that the Chicago bid may have been folly from the start, with several indicators pointing away from the U.S. bid. as for this one, I find it far more likely that something happened today at the White House, say with the meeting with the Israelis, which might point to some need to hold the small meeting at a more secure location.

Comment by amalia Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 5:40 pm
Amalia’s view that some newish factors, probably external to Chicago, played a major role in the White House’s low key (and apparently surprise) announcement today has merit I think.

Comment by Responsa Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 5:48 pm
Good.

I was worried we would have a repeat of Chicago ‘68, when protests turned off enough of the country to lead to a Democratic presidential loss. That was really the deciding factor here.

Comment by mark walker Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 5:51 pm
Well it was becoming apparent that the police were so understaffed that this COULD of been a disaster. Murders are up like 30% in Chicago this year, I think Rham made a tactical retreat which was the right move. The city is so poorly managed right now that a disaster was likely.

Comment by Fed Up Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 6:00 pm
Things will be plenty busy with the NATO summit, and I am relieved we will not also have to deal with G8 chaos.

Comment by Boone Logan Square Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 6:08 pm
Can someone with know-how distinguish for me the difference between a G-8 protestor and a NATO protestor?

Comment by ZC Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 6:23 pm
If amalia is correct, wouldn’t they pull the NATO meeting, too?

Comment by Wensicia Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 6:30 pm
== Even in the South Loop federal complex, building officials still have not been fully briefed on what to expect and how to prepare. ==

Courtesy of the Greg Hinz story.

It seems EXTREMELY likely that security and planning concerns played at least some role in deciding to move the G-8.

Mr. Netanyahu may have also shared some news that makes it even more important to hold the G-8 meeting in a small, controlled, intimate environment.

That said, the first G-8 summit after 9-11 was held in Alberta. There were significant security concerns at that time as well, which they handled gracefully.

Perhaps now Chicago leadership will take seriously the concerns of many officers about lack of manpower and resources. They’ve been hit hard in recent years, and it’s clear from media reports that many were concerned about the lack of planning, equipment and personnel behind this.

Comment by Shock & Awww(e) Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 6:35 pm
Funny how all this comes down right after Putin gets re-elected isn’t it?

Comment by Oz Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 6:49 pm
Election year = Bad press at Chicago G8 Summit = What’s Obama afraid of ?
NATO Summit will be pulled too.

Comment by Truth Is Painful Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 6:55 pm
Lori Healy has spent the last 6 years in the chicago media spinning taxpayers, politicians, media, business and anyone that would listen that these were the “right priorities” and that everything was ‘being handled” and going to work out. 2 colossal flops and we still have this NATO thing to go. They can’t convince the White House they are ready to hold this stuff and can’t even figure out the announcement of the change.

Here’s the brackett interview from December, with Ms. Healy sounding so confident

Brackett: “IT’s NOT A LOT OF TIME TO PLAN, it’s JUST 5 MONTHS”

Healy: “we have people in chicago who are experienced, we have 120 dialects spoken in chicago”

she dodged the questions about whether the city was prepared.

now we know why

http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/comment/4079

Comment by Shore Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 6:59 pm
it gets better

at 1228 in the clip

BRACKETT: What is the economic development to be gained from this, what are the jobs that will be created?

HEALY: “I’ll give you a great example just today the advance teams came here stayed in chicago hotels, ate here, DID THEIR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ON MICHIGAN AVENUE”

All this mess for a few officer friendlys rumored to be buying a few toys and scarves on Michigan avenue.

nice.

Comment by Shore Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 7:08 pm
Simply put - Chicago is not ready for Prime Time, no matter who’s steering the ship.

Comment by Truth Is Painful Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 7:23 pm
1. I give the professional left like bored now, and the chicago reader and brackett credit for doubting the mayor on this they were exactly right.

2. the people of chicago are ready for prime time. these clowns like healy and rahm and valerie jarrett (with the olympic debacle) are not.

Comment by Shore Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 7:38 pm
I find the timing of the announcement very interesting. The president just met with the Isralie prime minister. One of the topics of discussion was Iran’s nuclear program. Maybe, just maybe there’s going to be an air strike in Iran that coincides with this summit. Having NATO and the G* in one place is an awfully big target. I’m not some paranoid nut job. Just thinking globally.

Comment by Strategic Move Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 7:40 pm
If you watch the clip, Brackett points out that the us was hosting another summitt-apec which is pacific countries us-peru-canada-japan ect in january and there were questions if the federal agencies could handle the g8, nato, apec within a 5 month time span in addition to everything else. the answer appears to be no. I look forward to reading the chapter in the axelrod/obama/rahm/plouffe memoirs 5 years from now explaining this day.

Comment by Shore Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 7:44 pm
===I’m not some paranoid nut job.===

I don’t think you’re a paranoid nut job, but I think people are making too big a deal out of the AIPAC/Netanyahu meetings. If anything, NATO would be moved in that instance, not G-8.

It isn’t Healy’s fault, nor the mayor’s fault. I’m pretty sure the security demands of a G-8 were incompatible with Chicago’s political realities. It wasn’t going to be a good event, and the steps needed to ensure a good event were never going to fly politically.

G-8 is controversial, much more so than NATO. The Occupy groups and the professional anarchists can’t build the same kind of protests against NATO compared to G-8 in my opinion. And nothing the city could do short of martial law would have prevented chaos if G-8 was here.

I think it was the right decision, regardless of how it was decided and by whom. No blame from me or finger pointing. Just relief.

Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 8:16 pm
It looks like they saved millions and a big embarrassment. Maybe the Godfather didn’t think he could handle something this BIG.

Comment by Bob Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 8:16 pm
Anybody know if there was any request to the state for financial help, or if the Quinn admin had budgeted any aid or state OT for this?

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 9:03 pm
“…have it look like Chicago and the Democrats are in local chaos, have somebody try and make this “Obama’s Chicago 1968.”

Bingo!

Comment by wishbone Monday, Mar 5, 12 @ 9:50 pm
“This is like the Summer Olympics all over again.”

“The Chicago Police Department’s polo team will be a force to be reckoned with in 2012.”

lol TCB’s on a roll–and I’ll volunteer to help stomp out the divots!

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Mar 6, 12 @ 12:16 am
It seems that in the last 15 or so years that anti-war protests are generally less chaotic and confrontational than anti-Wall Street protests around the world, so I think it makes sense that the G8 summit would be moved while NATO left here.

And moving either event will make things less chaotic because the power players being less concentrated for a shorter period of time makes both events less attractive to both protesting activists and maniacal terrorists.

Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Mar 6, 12 @ 7:49 am
Can we blame Blagojevich ?

Comment by Gel Tuesday, Mar 6, 12 @ 8:03 am